Dan Savage bakes big batch of ally cookies

Dan Savage, creator of the It Gets Better campaign, launched a new website to thank straight allies of the LGBT community for supporting marriage equality according to Gay Star News.

"Last week on my blog, I floated the idea of having a big party for all the straight people who came through for us in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington State," Savage wrote. "But all those straight people wouldn't fit in a single ballroom. But we can fit them on a single Tumblr page."

And so began, "Straight Up Thanks," a photo site dedicated to all the straight allies who supported equal marriage rights in the elections.

The 2012 elections were historic for the LGBT community in many ways, and marriage equality was certainly a major victory particularly in Maine, Maryland, and Washington.

According to an ABC News-Washington Post poll, 51 percent of all Americans support gay marriage. Though some still fight on against gay marriage, this the fifth poll since March of 2011 that says a majority of Americans support marriage equality.

Savage, for one, feels optimistic that the tide won't reverse the other way anytime soon, especially since the LGBT community has such strong allies.

"I know so many straight people in Washington State, where I live, who worked unbelievably hard on the campaign to win marriage equality for their gay and lesbian friends, family members, and neighbors. I know straight people in all four states who voted, gave money, worked phone banks, and knocked on doors -- all in an effort to make it possible for same-sex couples to marry."

below the cut is the post from savage love, entitled "Thank a Breeder Day"....obviously, given the nature of savage love, the latter sections are nsfw:

Reading you over the years has absolutely changed my mind on gay marriage. I wanted to let you know that. I also live in Maryland, and, as you know, we voted last week to allow same-sex couples to legally marry. I was excited that I got to vote for marriage equality in my home state, Dan-even I agree that it's fucked up that people get to vote on the civil rights of LGBT people at all. Thanks for all your writing over the years-it's really made a difference in my love and sex life. And congrats to you and all gay people in the United States for the big wins last week in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington State.

Just Some Straight Guy

There's something I want to say about the votes—and about the voters—in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington State. But first I want to say this to all my fellow queers: We built this. The breakthroughs we saw last week, which included the election of the first openly gay person to the United States Senate (Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin), we made that. LGBT people came out, fought back, and changed the world. We have a fuck of a lot left to do—repeal DOMA, pass ENDA, unfinished business with DADT (trans people are still barred from serving), defending the rights of queers around the world—but LGBT people have made tremendous progress since Stonewall. It has gotten better for us because we came out and fought to make it better. We demanded better.

Now here is what I want to say to straight people: Thank you.

I know so many straight people in Washington State, where I live, who worked unbelievably hard on the campaign to win marriage equality for their gay and lesbian friends, family members, and neighbors. I know straight people in all four states who voted, gave money, worked phone banks, and knocked on doors—all in an effort to make it possible for same-sex couples to marry.

Gays and lesbians are a tiny percentage of the population. And while we laid the groundwork for the breakthroughs we saw last week in Maine, Maryland, Washington, and Minnesota—we built this—we didn't build it on our own. The majorities in the state legislatures in Maine, Maryland, and Washington that voted to make same-sex marriage legal? Straight. The governors who signed laws making same-sex marriage legal? Straight. The overwhelming majority of people who voted in favor of marriage equality in all three states after anti-gay bigots forced public votes on our civil rights? Straight. The majority that voted against writing anti-gay bigotry into Minnesota's state constitution? Straight. And the president who took a huge political risk and came out for marriage equality before his reelection campaign? Straight. It has gotten better for us—better, not perfect—but it hasn't gotten better for us in a vacuum. It's gotten better for us because straight people have gotten better about us.

Rights are rights. They shouldn't be put up for a vote. And we shouldn't have to say "thank you" when they're recognized. The sad fact is that we have had to fight for our rights. But here's the happy fact: We didn't have to fight this one alone. Thousands and thousands of straight people stood with us and fought for us. We had help. And that's what we should thank the straight people for. Not for granting us our rights—rights are rights are rights—but for joining our fight.

Last week on my blog, I floated the idea of having a big party for all the straight people who came through for us in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington State. But all those straight people wouldn't fit in a single ballroom. But we can fit them on a single Tumblr page. Queers? If you know a straight person in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, or Washington—if you know a straight in any state or the District of Columbia—who donated money, phone-banked, went door-to-door, or took a political risk on our behalf, take your picture with that straight person, write a few words about what they did, and post it to www.straightupthanks.tumblr.com.

We saw a huge breakthrough in the struggle for LGBT equality last week. And it wouldn't have happened without the help of so many righteous, kick-ass straight people. I'll bet every queer person reading this knows a straight person who they should thank. I certainly do. Thank them in a public way: Go to www. straightupthanks.tumblr.com, click "submit a post," share a photo, and thank a straight ally.